Brunch at Home: Egg White Frittata

With copious amounts of restaurant options peering around every corner, sometimes the options can get too overwhelming. This usually leads to the typical Saturday morning argument of "where do you want to get brunch?". Instead of dancing around the topic until noon, this weekend I decided to cook brunch.

This simple recipe is a great "go-to" for any group gathering and can be made with whatever produce you have on hand. I served this, of course, with my Cold Brew Coffee and some fresh nectarines.


Ingredients:
2 raw chicken sausage links, casing removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 egg whites (or 1 cup liquid egg whites)
1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Cold Brew Coffee

There is nothing I love more than a delicious cup of iced coffee in the summer time. I think it has actually become a requirement in New York to be seen walking down the street with an iced coffee in your hand in order to fit in. Yet, as happy as a good cold cup o' joe makes me, there are a few other iced coffee situations that truly infuriate me.

First, the price. A single cup of gourmet iced coffee a day can add up fast. And yes, there are the good old dollar coffees from the street carts, but if you want something a tad fancier it can run you upwards of $5 a cup.

Second, please do not pour hot coffee over ice and tell me that this is iced coffee. Yes, technically you are right, but we all know how terrible watered down room temperature coffee is.

Finally, grainy sugar at the bottom of your coffee. The "too cool for school" places that only have sugar in the raw or some other fad of sugar don't understand that this product will not melt in iced coffee. A few years back as my coffee drinking skills developed, I noticed shops using simple syrup to sweeten coffee.  I seriously thought this was the most genius invention of mankind. Equal parts sugar and water simmered together to make a sweet sugary syrup that mixes perfectly with cold drinks.

So back to the point, if you want a delicious cup of iced coffee and also want to save a few bucks, just make it at home. I was shocked to find out how easy it actually is. All you need is a few tools. 

Tools:
1 large container
1 pitcher
6 oz of your favorite brand of ground coffee
3 1/2 cups of cold water
Strainer
Coffee Filter

My "Go-To" Simple Roast Chicken

I always like to have a few "go-to" recipes under my belt that are simple and classic. Who doesn't love a roast chicken? I will admit, I get lazy from time to time and buy the rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, but it just isn't the same. I have found most times the super market chicken is overly salted and dried out by the time I go to eat it.

I love giving this recipe to friends who are just starting to cook (especially for a home-cooked date night) because it is easy yet very impressive. I'm pretty sure this is one of the first meals I cooked for my fiancé, and I distinctly remember him saying it was the sole reason he decided to give the relationship a try. OK, maybe not the sole reason, but it definitely didn't hurt.

Again, this recipe can be adjusted for your specific taste. Use your favorite herbs and seasoning to tailor it for your personal taste. Serve over your favorite roasted vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 (5 to 6 lb) roasting chicken
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprica
1 bunch herbs (I used the small mixed packet of herbs from the grocery store)
1 small onion, quartered
half head of garlic
1 lemon, halved

Quinoa Build-A-Bowl

On nights when I didn't go food shopping and don't want to go out to eat, I usually combine whatever I have in my fridge into a dinner mash-up. Quinoa has become a staple that I always have on hand, and makes a great base for any meal. Tonight on hand I had some Kale, Chicken Sausage, Lentils, Feta, Tomatoes and Hummus.

To add some extra flavor, sautée 1 bunch of kale with 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 tsp cumin, over medium heat until kale is wilted, 5 min. Slice 1 chicken sausage, (I used Trader Joe's Spicy Chicken Sausage) sautée over medium heat, 2 min per side. Top Quinoa with kale, sausage, 1/2 cup cooked lentils, 2 Tbsp crumbled feta, 2 Tbsp hummus, and 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes. Any of your favorite ingredients can be substituted into this recipe.

The Ultimate Veggie Meatballs

Living downtown in New York, I frequently visit The Meatball Shop. One evening I decided to venture out of the meat-zone and try their veggie meatballs. Mind. Blown. These are by far the best veggie meatballs I have come across, and I made it my mission to figure out how these babies were made. I got a copy of The Meatball Shop cookbook, and I am pretty proud with how they turned out. I tweaked the recipe just slightly, substituting oats for breadcrumbs. Hint: Instead of using raw lentils I used Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils, and they worked out perfectly (and saved a good half hour). 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 large carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp tomato paste

8 oz button mushroom, cleaned and sliced

2 cups lentils

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cups quick rolled oats

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Arnold Palmer Sorbet

Since getting engaged our apartment has slowly turned into a pop-up Crate and Barrel location. Living mere blocks from the actual store, I sometimes even stumble in and cozy up on the couch thinking I am back in my apartment. Once I notice the plastic TV won't turn on to Bravo, I realize what I have done and head back home. I figure to stop this confusion I should probably start to unpack some of these black and white boxes, it would also be nice to see the other side of my apartment again.

As I finally began to delve into the boxes upon boxes stacked in our apartments, the one I was most excited to open was our Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. And I must say after trying it, I am definitely in love.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw sugar
2 cups sugar
4 of your favorite tea bags
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
1 tbsp raw agave

Brussels Sprout Chips

As a compulsive snacker, I try to find and create guilt-free recipes so I don't feel weighed down during the day after a few rounds of snacking. Although I am a fan of kale chips, I am never truly satisfied with the thin flaky crisps I am left with after baking. Brussels sprouts are a bit more dense and give a great flavor when roasted. Just a heads up --  they will still be a bit soft in the center if you want to keep that bright green color. If you like them crispy throughout, leave them in the over a few minutes longer. They will be much darker but also much crunchier.

Ingredients:
1 bunch brussels sprouts
cooking spray
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
pinch cayenne